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Health Care

It is important that everyone has access to good medical care that is reliable and affordable. It is a problem that impacts the young and old alike. It hits small businesses and forces them to make tough choices about the health care coverage they can afford to offer their employees.

The federal government has several programs intended to help. Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) expand health coverage to some of America's most needy: seniors and children. Medicaid is health insurance that helps many people who can't afford medical care pay for some or all of their medical bills. In addition, Medicare is making a difference for many seniors. With the enactment of the Medicare Part D prescription drug program, more people are taking advantage of the many benefits such as lower prices and greater choices that are being offered.

With increasing premiums, higher costs of living, and skyrocketing drug prices, the Administration needs to compromise with Congress on real-life, affordable options provided by the private sector has to work to ensure our senior citizens and future generations do not have to choose between buying groceries and prescription drugs.

I opposed the President's healthcare bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), also known as Obamacare. This law is being phased into effect and in 2014 the cornerstone provision, the individual mandate, will go into effect. This provision requires all U.S. citizens to have health insurance coverage or pay a penalty. Unfortunately, the program also creates new taxes on health care providers.

The government heavy-handed interference may cause private options to go up so high in price that individuals and businesses have no choice but to select a much-lower quality set of options crafted by the government. The House has voted numerous times to repeal this law; the Democrat-led Senate has refused to consider these bills.